“Alright, Eric, I think that’s enough,” Mrs. Andrews said behind him.
Gracie pushed out of his arms and had the balls to wipe her hand across her mouth, as if the kiss had been distasteful. Which they both knew was bullshit.
“We need to talk, Gracie.”
“She doesn’t seem to be interested—” Eric shot Mrs. Andrews a glare. “Fine, but honestly, you should handle your problems in public instead of laying them out for the whole town.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want to deprive you of a show, would we?” Gracie snapped.
Mrs. Andrews’s huffed at her before hollering into her microphone, “Changing of the lips. Changing of the lips. Come give your Canyon Queen, Katie Connors, a smooch! Only a dollar.”
Both Gracie and Eric ignored her. Gracie gathered up her purse and mumbled a goodbye to Katie as she escaped past him and kept walking towards Chase’s tent.
Oh, no, Gracie Lou, you are not getting rid of me that easily.
Right on her heels, he rounded the corner, only to have Chase call out to him.
“Eric, can you watch my booth again?”
Eric stilled, wishing he could tell his friend to fuck off, but Chase was one of the few guys he hung with who didn’t get on his nerves. Still…
“I’m kind of busy, man.”
“I’ll owe you one,” Chase said. Eric watched Gracie get further and further away, and finally just shrugged in defeat. There would be time enough to find Gracie. And next time, she wouldn’t escape so easily.
* * *
Gracie stomped back towards The Local Bean’s booth, cursing under her breath. How could she have kissed him back like that? After everything that had gone on between them; the fighting, the anger and insults. She had vowed to stay away from him after last night, but then he’d shown up, demanding a kiss…
And completely rocked her world.
Something had to be done. Whatever this attraction was, she needed to exorcise it. If that meant jumping Eric Henderson’s bones once and for all, then she was just going to have to go or it.
Although, that might take a bit of liquid courage first.
Chapter Seven
Several Weeks Later
The night of Ryan’s bachelorette party was wild, with the shots starting early. Operation get Chase to Buck’s Shot Bar was already in motion, as Katie had called Chase about ten minutes ago.
“Go dance on the bar,” Gracie said.
Katie blinked at her. “What?”
“If you’re up on that bar in that skirt when Chase shows up, he is going to lose his shit in the best way possible. He’ll probably carry you out of here like a caveman to make sweet, passionate love to you.”
“She’s probably not wrong,” Gemma agreed.
Gracie held up her shot and tossed it back. As the air hissed out between her teeth, she set the glass down on the table. “Damn straight.”
Katie hesitated, and then finally downed her shot. “What the hell.”
The table cheered as she made her way to the front of Bucks and climbed up onto the bar. They whistled and squealed, drawing the attention of several men who gathered under Katie to watch.
The trap was set.
When Chase walked in, his eyes blazed. Gracie would have swooned if a man had come at her looking like that. He said something to Eric, who pointed at them, and Chase gave them a dangerous scowl.